


grief, like a familiar cloak

by Arithra



Series: FE3H + Pkmn [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Gen, Rodrigue is not having a great time, Swinub - Freeform, during the timeskip (but pretty much at the beginning), he is half a step away from a heart attack, meet Felix's Pokemon, mentions of Pokémon, mentions off Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, post the Fall of Garreg Mach Monastery, the Pokemon fusion you have not been waiting for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23250556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithra/pseuds/Arithra
Summary: When Rodrigue returned from Fhirdiad nursing wounds and carrying only Areadbhar as a poor consolation prize for the king he once served and the prince he had sworn to protect, he found castle Fraldarius empty of his son.Or: In the aftermath of Dimitri’s supposed execution Rodrigue grapples with the uncertainty of their circumstances and his son’s likely foray into enemy territory. Now with extra Pokemon!
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius & Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius
Series: FE3H + Pkmn [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863772
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32
Collections: Rodrigue Week 2020





	grief, like a familiar cloak

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lumeha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeha/gifts).



> Because I'm always a sucker for Pokemon AUs and it's Rodrigue Weekend...

When Rodrigue returned from Fhirdiad nursing wounds and carrying only Areadbhar as a poor consolation prize for the king he once served and the prince he had sworn to protect, he found castle Fraldarius empty of his son. 

The fireplaces were lit, and the servants were milling around, but the only person who greeted him in the entrance hall was Benedict, his brother, a pinched look on his face, as well as the Indeedees. Indee was standing stiffly, while Deedee looked close to tears. 

For a moment Rodrigue could not breath and he stopped in the doorway.

The last conversation he had had with Felix was two days before he set out to meet with Cornelia to find out the truth behind the charges she had leveled against the prince. Felix had been furious with him. He had insisted that there was no way Dimitri (referred to as the boar) had simply killed Rufus (Rodrigue had agreed), or that Cornelia would not stop at imprisoning Dimitri. And Rodrigue had told him- had told him that Cornelia was smart enough to know she could not simply execute the crown prince. No matter how Felix had argued that they had to do something, getting more and more worked up, Eevee puffing up where he perched on his shoulder, eventually even going so far as to use the nickname for the prince that Rodrigue had not heard since Felix was ten and-

Rodrigue had turned away. Told him to have patience. That he would take care of it. That he would meet Cornelia and get to the bottom of this. Told him to send messages to Gautier and- 

And Felix had thrown up his hands, made a sound of disgust and stalked away. They had not talked again, and then the message of the execution had arrived and Rodrigue had left for Fhirdiad without saying goodbye. 

Intend on  _ dealing  _ with Cornelia. 

(There was not one person in all of Fhodlan that Rodrigue hated as much as he hated Cornelia. Hated her for being just a bit too late to save his wife, his sister, and his queen. Hated her for the way she would always seem to say the wrong thing when Lambert was at his lowest. Hated how her words - seemingly accidentally - drove Rufus further and further away. Hated her for the whole mess with Patricia, and how she had played Lambert like a fiddle, and-)

And now Felix was gone. The prince was - if not dead by execution than probably on the run, if not - but no. There was no body. 

(There had not been a body for Glenn either, not really. Just the shield meant to protect him, and his armour, and the remains of bones broken and with bits and pieces of burned flesh still clinging to it, lying over the shellshocked little prince, or so Gustave had told him, voice wooden.)

Rodrigue almost sat down in the middle of the doorway, but Arcanine pushed him forward and so he took stumbling steps towards Ben, whose face softened slightly. 

“Felix?” Rodrigue almost did not recognize his own voice. 

“He went out,” Ben told him. “Armed and provisioned, not long after you.” So probably no more than a week, “we haven’t heard from him since,” his brother paused for a moment then in a sardonic tone that usually gave Rodrigue a headache, “he did send the messages first.”

“Messages…” Rodrigue blinked. “Yes, I … will have to send some more.”

Ben gripped his shoulder and led him away from the entrance hall, he could hear the flutter of Ben’s Noctowls wings as it flew down from the chandelier to land on Arcanine’s back. It was familiar.

As was the way towards his office. By the time they reached it, Rodrigue had gathered himself enough to push open the door himself. Indee moved past him, giving him a disapproving look as he pulled out the chair for him, and then moved on to stroke the fire. With a sigh, he sunk into the chair and watched as Arcanine moved towards the fireplace. There was still blood in his friend’s fur. Rodrigue had healed all the wounds that needed it, but there had not been time to sit back and enjoy some grooming. He had to see to it. He had to write messages. He had to find the prince. He had to-, Felix had to-

“Prince Dimitri?”

Rodrigue blinked, ripped from his thoughts and focused on his brother who had taken the seat across from him. 

“Cornelia claimed to have executed him. In line with the laws of the kingdom.” his laugh was derisive, “even if it were true, she would not have had the authority. The only one who-”

The only one who would have had the authority to sentence the prince was Rodrigue himself, backed by a council of his peers.

“You think he is alive?” Ben did not sound disbelieving, simply curious, but the look on his face was the same one his brother had given him when the news of Duscur reached them and Rodrigues reaction to being told of the death of his king, had been to disagree and insist that there must have been a mistake.

“She refused to show me the body.”

Ben starightend, his lips tightened. 

“Foolish of her. As long as hope of the prince’s survival remains, she will not have the kingdom.”

Rodrigue nodded in agreement. “She calls it the dukedom now, and the imperial forces are Fhirdiad.” 

His brother hummed, “Yes, we got the message,” he gestured to one of the opened letters on Rodrigue’s desk, “how convenient for her.”

“Ha,” Rodrigue shook his head, “that wasn’t convenience.”

“I agree,” Ben said, and stroked his beard, his gaze wandering to the window. “Do you think the prince will come here?”

His heart missed a beat, and Rodrigue took a deep breath. “I hope so. He should know that Fraldarius will stand with him.”

\--

Rodrigue sent the messages. 

A day passed, and Felix did not return. 

Another day, and still no Felix. 

Another day, and another, and then a week. No word of his son. No word of or from Dimitri, but rumors and rumors of Cornelia’s actions. 

Rodrigue and Fraldarius were declared rebels, which was fine, to Cornelia, the rightful ruler of Faerghus, which she was not, so it wasn’t fine. The old charter that had declared the kingdom’s independence from the empire, made it quite clear who would follow in the absence of a direct heir of house Blaiddyd. Rodrigue had no plans on insisting on it, no so long as the smallest glimmer of hope remained for Dimitri’s survival. 

Another week passed. Messages came from Gautier and Charon, the old guard. Support from the former, unwilling neutrality from the latter. Domenic remained silent, but for a message from Gustave, and Galatea sent apologies. 

But no word of Felix. (No body either.)

Rodrigue organised his troops, made sure everyone was equipped, and ensured their provisions, and supply routes. Itha, Rufus’s former territory, yielded to Fraldarius and added their numbers to his. He put Ben in charge of them.

Another week, and then another. Preparations continued, and smaller battles broke out. The western parts of the kingdom bend to Cornelia and the might of the imperial army behind her. (No words, no bodies.)

Gautier reported that Sreng was mustering their forces and their support would be limited. Unfortunate, but not truly unexpected. 

Felix eventually returned, a full moon after Rodrigue himself. He came in the wake of rumors of smaller skirmishes at the edge of Fraldarius and Blaiddyd territory. And rumors of bodies of Cornelia’s soldiers being found, slain by sword and lighting, with battlefields that indicated the struggle of one fighter faced with greater numbers, and others that seemed like a crest beast had torn through them. People disappeared from the roads, and people disappeared in Cornelia’s dungeons. The people who Fhirdiad refused Cornelia’s claim to power, and so they suffered. 

Word of Felix’s arrival reached him when he was taking his dinner while pouring over the documents in his office under Indee’s disapproving gaze. The word had hardly passed the steward’s lips before Rodrigue and Arcanine were past him, on their way to the entrance hall. When his eyes landed on Felix, Rodgirue had to swallow and take in the picture of his son. When he had last seen him, Felix had still been in his school uniform, his Eevee on his shoulder (much like Toracat used to lounge on Glenn’s), Honedge never far from his side, and Bagon stumbling after him with her short legs. He had looked furious and had all but vibrated in his skin with the need to do something.

The image now was different. Rodrigue stopped in the doorway leading to the entrance hall and looked at his son, who was being fussed over by Deedee. He had not seen Felix look so tired and defeated since his return from the western rebellion all those years ago, but unlike back then, the exhaustion was not all that was ailing him.

Felix had not returned unharmed. Half of his face was bloody and bruised, his lip split open. Someone seemed to have taken a knife to his son’s hair, as at least half of it was chopped short as it had not been since Felix had been a very young child. His clothes were dirty and ripped and cut in places. Nor was Eevee riding on his shoulder, instead an Umbreon followed at his heel, side by side with what Rodrigue supposed was Bagon’s evolution - a rather large and round quadrupled Pokemon whose head was hidden inside the armoured shell. Both Pokemon looked like they had been in a fight, ruffled and bruised, with welts and scorch marks left by magic.

(Glenn had once jokingly told Rodrigue that the one evolution he did not expect to happen was Umbreon, Felix had never been happy in the dark. How ironic.)

However, probably the most shocking thing was, the steel sword his son had been armed with was gone. (Honedge had evolved as well.) Instead, Felix held the handle of one of Doublade’s blades in his hand, the other one hovering behind it, blade gleaming and glittering with blood. 

(Rodrigue felt sick to his stomach. Everyone knew - and Rodrigue had made very sure that everyone included his son, after he had returned home with a Honedge floating behind him - that no matter how close the partnership, one should never grasp the handle of the sword. There were stories and legends warning of the dangers. There were no happy endings.)

Felix frowned at Deedee as she tried to pull the Doublade from his hand and the grip on the handle of the sword tightened, his crest flared, then he let go, and the Pokemon rose to hover beside him as well. The Doublade behind him made an interested sound and bumped against his son’s shoulder. Felix did not seem perturbed, or paid them any more attention than a brief glance. The moment his son spotted him, his face was overtaken by relief, and some of the tenseness faded from his shoulders. “Father,” Felix said, brushing past Deedee who still seemed terribly worried. 

As Felix made his way towards him, Rodrigue noticed that he was hobbling, and cradling something wrapped up in his cloak under his left arm. With swift steps he met his son halfway through the entrance hall. Arcanine moved passed them to take a look at Felix’s companions.

“Felix, are you hurt?”

His son gave an aborted shake of his head, then breathed deeply through his nose. Some tenseness returned to his frame.

“Nothing I can’t handle, but,” Felix awkwardly brushed his cloak aside to reveal what, or rather who, he was cradling so carefully. “He needs help.”

It took Rodrigue a moment to recognize the small form. The last time he had seen this Pokemon, it had been following at Prince Dimitri’s heel, and shyly watching him from behind the prince’s legs. Back then the little guy had been small, smaller than most Swinubs, but lifely and curious. 

Now he looked half-dead, burrowed into Felix’s elbow and curled up in an attempt to make himself as small as possible. There was blood clumped in his fur, and his breathing was too heavy, yet swallow at the same time. Carefully, Rodrigue reached for him, feeling a flash of pain when Felix hesitated at handling his burden over. But he did, or at least tried to, because as soon as he lifted the Swinub from the safety of his son’s arms, he started to struggle. Squeaking pitifully, and wiggling his short legs. Felix reacted immediately, pulling the piglet back into his own hands before Rodrigue could react.

“Shh,” Felix hushed the Swinub awkwardly, pressing the shivering form against his chest, “Shh, little boar, it’s alright.”

Little-? Rodrigue pushed the thought aside. It did not matter right in this moment.

“He is not going to hurt you, “ Felix continued, and Rodrigue cleared his throat, before addressing the piglet himself. 

“It’s alright Swinub. I’m Rodrigue, Felix’s father,” He carefully stretched out his hand, close enough to make sure the piglet even in his distress could pick up his scent, but not yet touching it again, “We met when I visited Prince Dimitri at the monastery. I believe we enjoyed a mushroom stew in the dining hall together.”

The Swinub ceased squeaking and gazed at him with big watery eyes, but he was still shaking and pressing close to Felix's chest, and did not seem keen on the idea of leaving the warm and protective hold Felix had on him. 

Rodrigue nodded to himself, “Can you hold him out a bit?” he directed it as Felix, but as the Swinub squeaked again, he switched his focus back, “you need not leave his arms,” he told the piglet (much like he had once told his son you need not let go of his highness's hand), “but I need to get a better look at your wounds.” He looked back up to Felix, and gave him a small nod.

Unusually compliant, his son rearranged his hold on the Swinub so Rodgrige could get a better look at it. 

The piglet had been healed by inexperienced hands (Felix had not studied faith magic since the tragedy, or so Rodrigue had thought), but the injuries had been too heavy for basic healing to do more than stem the worst of the damage. Rodrigue was pleased to note that whoever had drilled his son on the basics of healing had ensured that he knew how to focus his magic so that bones did not heal wrong. It was one of the most common mistakes, but not something he had to worry about in this case. Gently he set his hands on the Swinub’s back and let the faith magic rise between his fingers, the wounds closed off quickly enough, and the piglets breathing evened out. The deeper healing spells always took more concentration and effort, so when he lowered his hands, Rodrigue signed with exhaustion. 

“Deedee,” he turned, addressing the Indeedee that was still standing behind Felix and fretting quietly. “Could you please ask Audino from the church to come here?” at the brief flash of panic that Felix could not contain he elaborated, “She has more experience with seeing to the injuries of Pokemon, and I would not want to miss anything.”

Deedee nodded quickly, and bustled out of the entrance hall, though she could not help but look back at Felix, whose attention was still focused on the Swinup. 

“Felix?” Rodrigue asked, “May I take a look at your injuries now?”

His son’s lips pressed tightly together, but thankfully Rodrigue had allies in this endeavour. Umbreon pressed against Felix’s leg and made a sound of displeasure as Felix hissed in pain. 

Gesturing behind himself, Rodrigue spoke up again. “We can go to my office. I was just having dinner. I shall ask Indee to bring some food for you and your companions as well.”

Felix’s mouth opened, but Rodrigue was faster, “I’m sure Swinub could so with something to eat.”

It was not a lie. 

Aside from the wounds, and the messy fur, Swinub was also thinner than he should be. Like he had not eaten properly in a while. Rodrigue wondered what had happened to the Pokemon, and when exactly he had gotten separated from Dimitri. It was a shame that very few Pokemon could talk. 

Pointing out that the need for care and nourishment was not just addressed to him, was enough to convince Felix to come to Rodrigue’s office where Felix insisted that he check over his other Pokemon before taking a look at Felix himself. Indee went off to get another plate for Felix, as well as something to eat for the Pokemon. Umbreon winding around Felix’s legs, and bumping against Rodrigue in greeting as well, accepting the gentle stroking against his back that Rodrigeu could not resist, with dignity. The fur of an Umbreon was quite different from the way Eevee’s had been, shorter, but more silky as well. Still perfectly fit for cuddling, Rodrigue though with some amusement, not that he would point that out to Felix, he had no intention of making his son even more defensive. 

Doublade bobbed in the air in front of him in greeting, while Bagon, now a Shelgon - like always, unless he had treats for her - ignored him. 

Swinub remained safely in Felix’s arms, even as Rodrigue was finally allowed to take a look at his son’s wounds. Of course, they were worse than Felix had made them out to be. Aside from general exhaustion, he had managed to crack two ribs, and twist his foot, as well as assemble an impressive collection of welts and bruises. Thankfully, whatever had spit fire at shelgon, had not hit his son, though his coat was a bit signed. 

The look in his son’s eyes dared him to say something, but Rodrigue managed to bite his tongue and simply look after his injuries. They were easy enough to heal. Felix would need to rest for a couple of days to ensure a full and throughout recovery, but without faith magic to heal the injuries they must have been painful. Given by the state of his ribs and his foot, he had been running around injured for a while now, and there was no way it had not been painful.

He worked in silence while Felix handfed the prince’s Swinub, but before Rodrigue had finished his treatment, the piglet fell asleep. Shortly afterwards the meal for Felix arrived as well and Indee gave Rodrigue himself a chiding look as he replaced the plate that had long gone cold with a new one. While they were eating, Felix reluctantly informed him about what he had been up to, and how he had come across the Swinub.

“I pretty much went the same way as you, just the long way around.” He shrugged, “there are several trails around Fhirdiad that an army can’t really cross, but a single person could.” Rodrigue knew those trails, and traveling them was an adventure, to put it mildly. “I though,” Felix continued, “That if the boar managed to get out, he would now better than to go the direct way, and if not, the lap-” he cut himself off with a grimace, not looking at Rodrigue, “if they got the boar, Dedue might have gotten away. He would stick out in the city, so the forests would be the best place…”

“Did you find anything?”

Felix shrugged, “Not really, but there were lots of soldiers around. They were obviously searching for someone. And not just looking, but actually hunting, in a grid pattern.”

And his son had been somewhere in the middle of it. (No news, no bodies.)

Rodrigue forced himself not to interrupt.

“I crossed paths with some of their search parties, but then I came across one that was actually hunting,” his hand paused in petting the Swinub, “I hid, but then I recognized the little boar.”

He was silent for a moment, “There was no one else around. I checked.”

Of course he did, injured and having only ensured that his pokemon weren’t hurt.

“I see,” Rodrigue leaned back in his chair, “I heard rumours of skirmishes along the border, and then into our territory.”

Felix nodded, “They pursued me.”

“I also got word of other battles, of unrest in Fhirdiad.”

“Unlike you,” Felix informed him dryly, “I did not go into the city.”

Rodrigue cleared his throat, but did not add anything further, causing Felix to continue.

“I went to some smaller villages. They do not believe Cornelia’s claims, and the imperial troops working for her don’t help. It seems like the boar’s mask was convincing enough when he went around playing at being...”

Rodrigue sent him a sharp look, but was ignored.

“House Blaiddyd has been good for the kingdom and looked after them, Cornelia - for all that she did after the plague, has not endeared herself much since then. Her personality is abrasive.”

Coming from Felix that was almost ironic, but Rodrigue could not disagree. Cornelia had been different when she had first come to Fhirdiad, but that was a long time ago. Instead, he set about informing Felix of what had happened since he had left. His son was always dismissive of Rodrigue’s actions as duke Fraldarius, sworn protector of the kingdom and royal house, but for all that Felix resented the notion of chivalry, he had never turned his back on his own duties as the heir to house Fraldarius, when it came to looking after the people of their territory. 

“Do you think he is still alive?” Felix’s voice was small, “Dimi- the boar, I mean.” 

Rodrigue took a deep breath, “I believe so,” He could not believe otherwise, “after all Cornelia refused to show me his body.”

Felix stayed silent for a moment, swallowed, then: “Then why isn’t he here?” His voice was quiet, almost inaudible, “Even the boar should know that we-, you-” he cut himself off, frustrated and did not start speaking again. 

Rodrigue breathed in deeply, and Felix’s gaze went from the collection of Pokemon by the fireplace to him, and in that moment he looked unguarded. Younger then he usually did with his fierce scowl. The last time his son had looked at him like this, Rodrigue had managed to shatter their relationship and whatever trust Felix had had in him into pieces. Carefully, oh so carefully, Rodrigue reached for him. Still when his hand landed on his son’ shoulder, Felix tensed, but he did not pull away. Rodrigue squeezed it slightly before taking his hand back, not wishing to push his luck.

They spend the rest of the evening in silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Lumeha and Aeryx from the Dimilix Domination Discord! Felix with an Umbreon is totally taken from Aeryx's own headcanon. Lumeha helped me flesh out the idea of Felix with Dimitri's Swinub after I suddenly sprang the idea of a Pokemon AU on them, and also gave me some advice on the title. Thank you, I had fun!


End file.
